Finish Line
by Aiko Isari
Summary: There is no right start to a journey, but for each trainer, there is always the right Pokemon, and the right friends to journey with. AU, told in snapshots
1. Metal Sound

**_A/N:_ **Hi there! Another fic to stem the tides of boredom that follow me everywhere. This is based on an _extensive _AU idea that pretty much popped into my head while I was replaying Pokemon _X._ Therefore, this takes place in the Kalos region, though it will not be outright stated for quite a while. I'm not sure how long this fic will be, nor do I know how exactly it's going to end. I just know it's going to be a lot of fun.

Pokemon requests, as well as scene, move, character inserts (barring major OCs), and _possible _developments will be considered, so if you want to see certain things, please tell me. Most of the teams are still up in the air at the moment, but their starters are all decided as well as various meta things. if your idea is not taken on board, I apologize in advance. It's not a personal attack.

As said, this is an AU. There are some things that will be different about the characters at the very beginning, but have no fear. They will become the Titans you know... in their own way. I follow the characterizations of the animated series, being rather baffled by the whole _New 52 _thing in the comics nor am I able to get my hands on the comics.

Anyway, I have rambled enough. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

-[TT/Pokemon] There is no right start to a journey, but for each trainer, there is always the right Pokemon, and the right friends to journey with. AU, told in snippets

* * *

_Metal Sound_

To be honest, he didn't think too much about it, training that is.

His father was a scientist, his mother had been a trainer. They both had just wanted him to be happy.

Admittedly, he was happy with his machines. Tinkering with them was a little more bearable than tinkering with a living being that wouldn't really respond right away.

He liked them though, Pokemon, anyway. They were friendly as long as you didn't hurt them on purpose and fed them the right way. His Aron was his friend, and he always helped with building something new, such as a replacement for his leg parts.

Victor supposed that if he went on a journey, that would be the only problem. What if they broke down? What if he couldn't walk to a town to pick up supplies, or he was mugged? He would be helpless.

And alone, but he didn't want to admit this last part.

That was in part because he was a man, and fear was not immediately in the "manly-man dictionary written by jumped-up fathers". Also, admitting to being lonely was almost as frightening as admitting that no one liked him.

Not that it was really true, or really false. Certainly, he had friends. They were all headed towards glamorous Kalos careers, and with that, places in fame and fortune. They might even become something like, oh… pioneers of the Pokedex.

That wasn't him. The flashy stuff could have been but… not anymore. He couldn't risk it, not alone. Aron would chew up the scraps and probably just stare at him until he crawled his way home by his arms.

Some star that would have been.

So he tinkered a little more with his legs, not willing to admit it, but hoping someone would ask what he was upgrading for.

He was trying to fix himself, so his legs didn't screech every now and again, so his steps were firm and smooth.

No one asked. And no matter how many times he fixed what wasn't broken, Victor couldn't leave the starting line, not for a long time.


	2. Growl

**_A/N:_**You know how I said that the characterizations weren't automatically the characters we know and love? Here's a good example. Frame of reference: Beast, episode 35. Also, sorry about the uberlong author's note last chapter and thanks to my new reviewer for being interested! I hope this continues to catch your eye! Enjoy!

* * *

_Growl_

He hated Pokemon battles.

They were loud, and the Pokemon had to _hate _it. How could they enjoy something like beating each other up for sport over and over again, to be healed and then pretend to bask in the light of their trainer's hands?

It was so annoying. Didn't the humans _care_?

Probably not.

Someone had tried to stop it once, to end Pokemon training once and for all. It was far off, in some other region where everything moved faster and was probably more interesting. Not that it mattered. Battling was in full-swing everywhere anyway, and it was even more disgusting here, hidden by cheap perfume. Well... the perfume wasn't _that _cheap.

Leo whined at him as he watched, the little cub pawing at the earth desperately. Garfield shook his head, gritting his teeth. How could his friend want that, to go get himself beat up for pocket change? Leo whined again and this time, it went ignored. It was only a little idea anyway. At his side, Garfield's fists clenched, shaking with anger and guilty pleasure. He didn't get how those guys could enjoy that so much, or why he couldn't stop watching.

He wanted to. They must be having fun.

"Rawrgh!" Garfield wheeled around to see someone kneeling near his Leo, a teenager with purple hair. She didn't speak a word, but she stared at his Pokemon. It was a blank stare, as though the person were merely too uninterested to emote much of anything. She offered a small hand out, each digit pale with scars. Leo sniffed it.

Garfield scowled. "You know, you're supposed to ask the trainer before you do that." He couldn't help but snap. Growling made his point better than joking around and being friendly with trainers. Normal citizens who just had a Pokemon, sure, they were cool, but trainers always wanted to fight. He had figured that out after a couple of fistfights. Fistfights he had _lost_, but that wasn't the point. She didn't really look like a trainer, dressed in thin clothes and without a glimmering Badge to be seen. But still, trainers always went up to new Pokemon like they should automatically be respected.

The girl looked up at him and was not intimidated in the slightest, purple eyes indicating a very blunt _'do-I-care-?' _vibe. "You don't consider yourself a trainer." Flat and rude, he had to pause a moment to not sputter.

"You still should ask!"

She didn't react at all, looking back in the direction of his lion cub. "But he's very bored over here, with you." Leo growled a little, shifting back onto small haunches. "No, rather, you make him unhappy." The correction seemed odd, like even she wasn't certain.

Garfield rose from his seat, almost knocking it over. "What, you some kind of Pokemon whisperer or something?"

She shrugged again. "Or something." Rising back up, he saw she barely reached past his eyes, but her eyes didn't seem to care that she did so. Leo whined at her and she tilted her head a shade left. "No," she finally said. "He's yours. You tell him."

Then she left, as if called by the voices battling nearby. For all he knew, she could have been.

Leo purred anxiously at his foot, and Garfield sat down again.

He didn't hate battles.

He hated trainers.


	3. Hypnosis

**_A/N:_**Hey all, more updates! Have to hurry up and write this other oneshot so I will be brief and any particular character discrepancies please pass them on. Thanks, and comments are loved!

* * *

_Hypnosis_

Rachel didn't know what compelled her to go near the Pokemon.

The boy with the green hair exuded waves of anger and envy, emotions she tended to avoid when she could notice them. Knowing that, the fact that the Pokemon was miserable came to no surprise. In truth, it likely should not have concerned her at all.

But she could be sentimental, and she knew it. Pain always made her melt.

"Rii…"

Rin remained worried by her shadow, and she obliged her partner with a pat on the head.

"Friend Rachel?"

She felt her friend's eyes upon her, gentle and too strong of a green, like home was too much to remember. "He was rude," she said simply, looking back at her Riolu and nodding. Why the Pokemon was so patient was beyond her, but it was appreciated.

Kory nodded, and it was with a small pang that Rachel saw her friend's eyes water. "To make his Pokemon feel so disconnected, is that not dangerous?"

"... We can't save them all." Her chest ached at the urge to do so, but she buried it. Sometimes it was too big of a burden, to be a Forest Child. She felt Rin's body gently thump against her chest and felt herself be pulled back to reality. "Where's Richard?"

Kory looked around, red hair whipping about in its mess of a brushing from the night before. "He is still battling, I must imagine." She smiled, the expression shy but endearing. "He is quite skilled, is he not?"

"Dick's always been good at fighting back," Rachel agreed, if only to placate her and the endless questions that might create a headache.

There was a sudden frantic burst of chirps from feet away and Rachel sighed, the sound hissing in exhaustion through her teeth. "There's an injured child over there. according to Cie."

Kory did not speak this time, merely smiled and nodded. "I shall assist friend Richard in bringing it to you," she promised, hurrying away.

Rachel nodded, closing her eyes and breathing deeply.

How long would she sleep this time? An hour, a night? How much time would her powers take from her?

At least they would never take her friends from her.


	4. Hone Claws

**_A/N:_**Hello! Update! And kory, the reason I gave Starfire her odd way of speaking is partially to preserve character and partially due to other reasons soon to be expanded upon in story. I almost made her speak some f

* * *

_Hone Claws_

Another trainer down, another hurdle conquered.

Another step out of _his_ shadow.

"Good work, Torch."

The Pokemon bounced and wriggled in the air at his praise, and he laughed. He loved a good fight. He loved a good win.

But he loved his team happy. That was the most important part.

The creature leaped into his arms for a hug, and he allowed it, welcoming the warmth from its small body. Then it let out a delighted chirp and peered out over his arm. Richard turned with a smile away from the trainer he had been fighting. It was a little rude, but when a battle was over in his homeland, locking eyes was wholly sacri-religious.

"Kory!" He braced himself, forcing black shoes to grip on the half-muddy grass. His tall, purple-wearing comrade tackled him gently, or her definition of the idea, into a hug. She was a strong woman, too strong sometimes, but Richard liked that about her. Almost everything about her was visible and what wasn't belonged where it belonged. "Kory," he gasped again. "You're squishing Torch!"

"My apologies for that!"

She did not look apologetic in the slightest, but then, Kory Anders was usually too happy to express darker emotions like that very often. Besides, Torch merely chirped and squirmed, happy to be near other happy people. "Something up?" Richard finally asked, letting the taller girl step away from him and peer him up and down, as she tended to do for some reason.

A serious expression danced across the vivid green eyes. "Yes, friend Rachel says there is an injured child near her that will not show it-"

"Say no more," Richard said simply. He released Torch and nodded to the little, flightless bird. "You know what to do, hey?" Torch chirped and ran away, heading back the way Kory had come. Dick grinned. "Shall we get over there? I've got to carry her after all." Kory smiled again, but the look was still marred with some discomfort. "Kory?"

"A boy was quite rude to her earlier. She went to speak to his sorrowed Litleo and-"

"And they took it badly." Richard pushed his bangs from his eyes. "Have to get used to it Kor. Foreign territory, foreign ideas. S'not like he knows anyway." He had to be casual so Kory didn't do something stupid like confront the guy. And by confront, he meant lift by their shirt and scold them so loudly there were people in Kanto who could hear her across the sea.

Also, Rachel did not need that… negativity.

"Besides, Kalos is not nearly as open-minded as it pretends to be." He shrugged again, putting his hands behind his head in an effort to say "not a big deal".

It was a big deal,however, and whoever the kid was needed culture shock, now.

No one messed with his friends, his _family_, even if they didn't mean it.

Even if it took a lifetime, he would pay that debt.


	5. Helping Hand

**_A/N:_**Hi guys! This has gotten a lot more support than I expected it to! Yay! I hope you guys keep reading. Unfortunately, I'm a bit behind on updates for it at the moment, homework and all. But you can expect between two to four updates to this story a week, minus weekends, because I'm playing catchup on stuff during that.

A reader asked about pairings. To be honest, I have no ideas. I'm open to suggestions, so long as there is no war going on in the reviews section. These are going to get steadily longer, rarely as far as I know past the 2k mark, though. But they will be growing as we get deeper in. For anybody who hasn't played X and Y, there are spoilers for the general game... to a point. This is an AU.

Quick thing: current teams that I have shown in story (Will happen once every few updates):

Victor Stone (Cyborg): Aron

Garfield Logan (Beast Boy): Leo (Litleo)

Kory Anders (Starfire): Cie (See-eh) (Togepi)

Rachel Roth (Raven): Rin (Riolu)

Richard Grayson (Robin) Torch (Torchic)

Enjoy and review please!

* * *

_Helping Hand_

"Cie!"

The Togepi happily waddled its way back to Kory's arms, chirping with earnest pleasure. "Wonderful job in finding the lost child!" She praised her partner with love and hugs. It was very easy to smile at a Pokemon, to love them as family. She knew no other way.

Then Kory straightened, looking towards her two friends. Richard clutched a squirming, bleeding creature in both arms, and it yelped and snapped at the air. He was murmuring in its ear, which was twitching. Rachel watched the blood drip onto her blue jeans with what Kory knew looked like fascination to an outsider.

Kory was cheerful, but not a fool. In her own distant way, her friend was crying for the creature.

The Pokemon looked abused, marks of artificial claws (knives) and torn fur patches. Its brown eyes were wide and wild and Kory almost "eeped" as it snapped near her. But she didn't. Crying children were nothing to fear.

"Poor dear," she murmured, watching Rachel reach out with thin arms to the agitated Pokemon. It scratched at her hands and she ignored it, pulling the injured child to her arms. It scratched and howled and from behind, Kory heard someone shift in their chair from a distance away. Perhaps it was the rude boy from earlier. He would get a thought or two from her, if so. No one was rude to her friends and escaped her. Not even her friends.

She glanced back to see the other person, and it was the one her friend had spoken to, glaring like they were the enemy of everything he had ever known and loved. Hm. Perhaps he was hurt by someone very deeply and had forgotten what joy was. That would be a very sad life. She would rectify such a circumstance the next time they met.

When the howling began to quiet, light shimmered out of the corner of her eye. Kory stepped to block her friend from view, even as Cie the Togepi chirped and giggled in his delightful voice. The Eevee's eyes had closed and it had gone still but for its breathing. "Better," Kory whispered, seeing the peaceful golden light resting on her friend's face. The Eevee made a mew at the sound of her voice, lifting eyes that seemed to be unable to catch anything. "Oh!" She reached out to the creature's nose and it sniffed her, licking with a tiny tongue.

"He likes your scent," Rachel muttered in a thick, slightly slurred voice. Her fingers were running along each patch of silver and beige fur with caution, but the Pokemon continuing their incessant purring. "Likes our feeling," she added before muttering something in another language.

Richard grinned at the comment, whatever it may have been. "Go and pet him, Kory."

Kory shook her head. "Not as of yet, friend Richard. There is a rather offending presence at my back. May I take care of it?"

Richard shook his head. "Later. Let's go back to the hotel. We've got some time left in the city."

"If you are certain," Kory said, glancing behind her. The green boy was agitated indeed, but perhaps a good evening would make such an issue fade would be wonderful, as then he could be a friend. They all needed new friends, even if they did not act like it.

So she turned and waved at him while Richard lifted their unconscious friend to his back. The Eevee hopped around on all fours, until Torch chirped at him and led the way.

Kory couldn't help her giggles. "Torch is a fine role model."

"He's had good teachers," Richard said, adjusting his sunglasses. "How do you guys deal with all the brightness here, Kory?"

Kory smiled. "We absorb it within ourselves."

"... I don't think I meant it like that Kor, but thanks."

The pleasure is mine."

Perhaps she ought to study into Kanto slang a bit more thoroughly. Sometimes the three of them still confused one another.


	6. Automonize

**_A/N:_**Okay, I lied. I got it done. I can get them written pretty fast if I go for it. Again, please tell me of any character inconsistencies (aside from Robin, who I'm taking liberties from the comic's Dick Grayson because... well, why not? And even then, comic nerds, let me know.) All comments, good or bad will be loved! Thanks! Have a nice evening!

* * *

_Autonomize_

"Dad, I need to go out and get some metal for Aron."

His father nodded from his place at the television and Victor sighed. Hadn't seen the man smile in months. To be honest, it really made him mad. "Do you want me to get you anything?" _That ain't wine? _

"Get yourself some dinner," the man said simply. "I'm going out tonight. The Super Training program is showing some bugs again."

Victor sighed. "All right… Later Dad." He left the apartment, waiting for the sound of the Pokemon flap for his slowly trotting Aron. Kneeling, he lifted up the creature to perch on an arm. "Ready to be unsanitary dude?" Aron made a grinding noise in his throat. "Good."

Outside of the large apartment complex, Lumiose City was as big and bright and imposing as it had been before his accident. Not that that really concerned him too much. He had grown up here. Being big and imposing was a matter of pride for someone like him.

Aron let out his strange noise suddenly, but not quick enough to stop someone from nearly slamming into his chest and hitting the ground. "Woah! Didn't see you there, man," He grabbed the teen, who looked a little scrawny in his opinion, and pulled him back up. The guy grinned, adjusting blue sunglasses back over his eyes.

"No big deal. Everybody forgets to look down. Hello there, little guy." The boy was looking straight at his Aron, who waved a tiny paw in his direction. Victor glanced at the kid, who was still grinning at him like there was nothing wrong in the world ever with the surreality of their meeting and he was damn happy to know it. In fact, he seemed stuck in the mindset of just be cheerful and shit will suck a bit less.

He probably had to be since he was barely taller than a lot of the girls Victor met in school. "So, what are you wandering around here for? Stores are over thataway." He jerked a thumb towards the nearby avenue, where taxis and Gogoat were wandering in the same directions.

The boy shrugged. "Just wandering, looking for that juice store. Hear they make great stuff."

Victor snorted. "Yeah, for Pokemon."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "Works for humans too, so long as you avoid the really tough skinned stuff."

Victor heard a sudden chirping noise and stared. "You eat Pokemon food?"

For a moment, the kid looked at him like he was insane _not _to do it. Then he shrugged and something in his manner stiffened, a stance in his shoulders, likely. "Where I'm from yeah. It's easier than growing an entirely separate garden for Pokemon and humans. Helps keep fertile soil, so it's more of the other way around. No pellets, and all that weirdo stuff." He wrinkled his nose and Victor couldn't help but grin.

"You sound like one of them green infomercials man. 'Eat like your partners and be as flexible as them...' or whatever crap those things say."

Instantly, the other laughed, but Victor briefly saw hesitation in his eyes. "No, no way. I still eat meat, kinda religiously, if you want me to be honest."

Victor grinned. "Well, bro, you might need some more milk. You aren't a skyscraper."

The boy frowned. "Shut up." Then they both laughed. "Name's Richard. You?"

"Victor."

"That supposed to mean something?"

Victor felt a small rush of anger at the smirk on the other's face. Then he felt a great sense of calm. "Yeah," he replied, smirking. "I can beat you in a fight any day of the week."

Richard grinned. "That a challenge, big guy?"

"It's a fact."

Victor didn't know what compelled those words to fall out of his mouth, but something in the kid's face made him at least want to try.

Plus, he hadn't made a single comment about his legs the entire time, if he had noticed. That was interesting.

Richard smirked. "I like rewriting the truth. Try me."


	7. Ember

**_A/N:_**Hello, everybody! Sorry about the lack of update yesterday, I had a speech to practice and a test to study for. So... here's today's. Last one for the week. Enjoy! Again, reviews are loved!

* * *

_Ember_

Kory fidgeted in her chair.

Richard had said it was all right to leave Rachel here alone to sleep, but Kory disagreed with that vehemently. Their friend was vulnerable when she slept, and no matter how highly Richard regarded her defensive ability, Kory did not want to take any risks, especially not with him off running around.

"We're in the city Kory," he had said. "It's better if I go exploring than she does. Besides, I won't be far. Half the city's got a power outage anyway."

That alone was quite a strange thing. A large city like Lumiose should not have to fear power outages, particularly one that has lasted as long as this one must have. And what if it spread? What is the Pokemon Center was hit? The horror stories, as Richard would put it.

Her friend made a noise in her sleep. It was almost inaudible but for the fact that the Eevee laying near her twitched one grey ear and raised his head. "Poor dear," Kory whispered to it and the creature turned its blind eyes towards her, mewing. Rachel made another soft noise in her sleep and Kory watched. Richard would know if this happened often or if this was a nightmare but her friend was not here. So what was she to do?

The Eevee yawned and stretched on the soft sheets, pawing his way forward to nestle himself near Kory's hands. Kory smiled and gently touched at a formerly scarred ear. "You are a good creature, are you not? Who would dare hurt you?" The Eevee mewed again and though Kory lacked Rachel's gifts, she thought she understood.

_A fool. A coward and a fool, _an angry whisper said, and she pushed it aside. This was not the time for such sorrowful thoughts. The creature was happy now, as it should be. She did not need to worry about him.

Cie made a happy chirp from his rolling on the floor, and she shushed him. Rachel did not wake, however, remaining almost deathly still barring the rise and fall of her torso.

No one should sleep like they are dying. That was what disturbed Kory about her new friend. In her home, people slept like they were healing, waking to be rested and alive. Rachel did not do so, and that scared her.

However, Richard would continue to insist she was fine. She never wanted to argue with him over it… but seeing few embers of life in her quiet friend was always going to be disquieting.

Kory sighed softly and rose to her feet. Perhaps this was why Richard said it was fine to leave her be. The feeling of helplessness was not one she had become accustomed to in a long time, nor did she enjoy it.

Perhaps a walk would do her well.

As she walked to the door, Cie rolled after her, followed, surprisingly, by the blind Eevee. "Let us allow some peace and quiet," she whispered, shutting the door behind her and locking it.

"Veeh," agreed the creature, trotting after her.

Kory went outside into the sun and sighed with relief. Yes, the light was a pleasant thing, indeed.


	8. Endeavor

**_A/N:_**Hey guys, sorry for the lack of updates last week. I got hit by the school bug. It wasn't fun.

Angel, wow I am really flattered. :) Thank you so much.

Cansei, and kory, thanks so much for your reviews. Yeah, not much happened in that chapter, but it was apparently important so up it went. XD Enjoy everybody!

* * *

_Endeavor_

Richard had to admit: the big guy had skill.

His little Aron was quick for a part-Rock type, and almost easily kept up with Torch's fast moves. Of course, Torch wasn't his strongest Pokemon, but Richard didn't really want to talk about that. That would ruin all of his fun. And what was the point of battling without that?

_Survival, _the pragmatic section of his brain commented, the one that was worrying about Rachel and the blind Eevee and that weirdo kid who had given his friend a hard time. People like that were just obnoxious.

The fun-loving kid, admittedly the part of himself that had seen better days, was absolutely loving this. He showed this with a pumped fist and a grin wide enough to break bones.

He kind of liked Victor. The guy was pretty cool, though why he was hiding his awkward walk was anybody's guess. Shame, probably. Shame and embarrassment and wanting to be normal. Hah, he would fit right in at home. Maybe Rachel would like him, as much as she liked strangers.

"Torch!" he shouted. "Close in!" The bird chirped and lowered his face, pecking at Aron's head and actually stopping the creature for all of five seconds before being knocked into the air.

"Awright!" Victor cheered. "Headbutt 'im!"

Richard grinned. That was the look he liked to see in a guy, carelessly overjoyed with a battle in his head. The guy had seemed a bit weird when they had met, cool, but stiff, waiting for something that Richard wasn't going to give. What he _was _going to give him was a sound rear-end kicking.

"Ember!"

Victor groaned. Crap, no dodging from midair. "Take it with Iron Defense!"

"Too late!" Richard said gleefully as the Aron went spinning down to crash into the battlefield ground. He winced in appreciation though. Ouch. He knew from experience, Torch hit _hard_. The Pokemon twitched a foot, clearly semi-conscious. Victor was wincing bad as he tried to go kneel by it.

Richard saw the utter humiliation (man this guy needed a poker face) rising in the older teen's eyes so he went over and examined the Pokemon himself. It wouldn't help the guy's pride but it would help the Pokemon. Normally that was all he really cared about. "Well," Richard mused, running his fingers along the back of the small head like he had been taught to do with Onix. "I don't think he's got a concussion. Just out cold."

"Didn't know Steel- types could get concussions," Victor said, in a voice that seemed a little angry, but Richard really didn't pay too much attention.

"Steel and Rock, and sometimes Ground have a lot harder of a time getting a concussion, unlike Torch, but as long as they've got a brain, any Pokemon can get one." Richard grinned. "This guy's got a hard enough head to get it knocked around but you should watch that part at his neck. Someone hits him there… well…" He handed the small Pokemon back to his trainer.

"You actually seem smart. Thanks."

Richard rolled his eyes. "I'm a genius."

"A genius of too much hair gel."

Both stared at each other before snickering. "Okay," Richard decided. "You're cool."

"Glad I make your list."

Dick smirked. "You should be. There's maybe six people on it. I'm particular."

"HEY!"

Both turned to see a lion cub happily making its way down the slightly damaged field, chased by a boy with green hair. "Don't see that every day," Victor remarked.

"You don't?"

Victor rolled his eyes. "Man, you grew up in some weird places."

Richard chortled. "You don't even know the half of it."


End file.
